This invention generally relates to exercise devices. Specifically, it pertains to a push-up exercise device with a rocker, a balance indicator, and a hinged balance roller.
Exercise devices are an important part of many workouts because they offer different options and different challenges to what can become routine or easy exercises. Push-up exercise devices typically offer a set of handles, either joined or laid out separately, that the user places on the floor or other object adjacent to the floor. The user is then required to use his or her chest muscles and triceps to push away from the handles. The user then lowers his or her body back to the floor and repeats the first step. Most push-up exercise devices are purposefully made to be as stable as possible for two reasons: first, the more stable the push-up exercise device, the easier the exercise is; and second, the more stable the push-up exercise device, the safer the device is. Unfortunately, many of these push-up exercise devices become boring or unchallenging as the user becomes more proficient at push-ups.
When the human body has to stabilize or balance itself during movements, such as push-ups, the stomach and lower back muscles are activated. The stomach and lower back muscles are called the core or core muscles of the body. When the core muscles are used during exercise, more energy is required to perform the exercise or movement. The more energy used, the more a body's metabolic rate increases. This, in turn, results in increased lean muscle tissue development and increased fat burning. Additionally, coordination and balance are developed. There is a need in the art for a push-up exercise device that is both stable, safe, fun to use, and can offer varying challenge levels by decreasing the stability of the device and requiring the user to exercise the core muscles during the exercise.
In the area of push-up exercise devices, many types are currently available. One such push-up exercise device is disclosed by (USPN) U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,474, to Romero, which discloses an exercise device that requires the user to balance his or her body as the push-up is performed. However, among other deficiencies, the Romero exercise device is always unstable and thus, does not offer varying challenge levels.
Another push-up exercise device is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,074, to Purdie, which discloses a variable handle push-up device. Although the varying handles of the Purdie push-up exercise device allow the varying types of push-ups to be performed, the device itself does not vary from stable to unstable. Thus, it does not provide the balance challenge that is sought by exercisers.
Thus, there remains a long felt need in the art for a push-up exercise device that is stable, safe, fun to use, and can offer varying challenge levels by decreasing the stability of the device.